Ten Amazingly Common Writing Mistakes
It’s absolutely astounding to me how common these 10 mistakes are on the Internet. And sadly, the people who repeatedly make them have no idea they’re making themselves look like idiots. While destroying the flow of the information they’re trying to communicate.
As I talked about in my post about proofreading, trust is diminished by simple mistakes in wording, typos and bad editing.
So here’s the list, courtesy of Ezinearticles.com:
1. There vs. Their vs. They’re
* There is an indication of location.
Example: I want to see that book over there.
* Their is a possessive version of they.
Example: They took their dog to the groomer.
* They’re is a contraction, short for they are.
Example: They’re going to the theatre tonight.
2. A lot vs. Allot vs. Alot
* A lot is an indication of amount.
Example: I have a lot of laundry to do.
* Allot means to distribute.
Example: I will allot you two cookies.
* Alot is not a word.
3. I.e. vs. E.g.
* I.e. means “in other words.”
Example: Writing more articles increases your
website traffic. I.e., it will bring you more
exposure.
* E.g. means “for example.”
Example: I have a lot of chores to do. E.g.,
laundry, dishes, vacuuming, dusting, etc.
4. To vs. Too vs. Two
* To is a function word to indicate relative position.
Example: We took the dog to the vet.
* Too can indicate excessiveness or in addition to.
Example: The chili was too spicy.
Example: I would like to go too.
* Two is the number 2.
Example: I want two cookies.
5. Its vs. It’s
* Its is the possessive version of it.
Example: Its door came off the hinges.
* It’s is a contraction, short for “it is.”
Example: It’s a beautiful day.
6. You’re vs. Your
* You’re is a contraction, short for “you are.”
Example: You’re the nicest person I’ve ever met.
* Your describes the possessor as someone else.
Example: Your shirt is very wrinkled.
7. Loose vs. Lose
* Loose is an adjective, the opposite of tight or contained.
Example: I have loose change in my pocket.
* Lose is a verb that means “to suffer the loss of.”
Example: I hope I don’t lose my car keys.
8. Choose vs. Chose
* Choose is a present tense verb meaning “to select.”
Example: I choose to eat healthy foods.
* Chose is a past tense verb meaning “to select.”
Example: I chose to eat healthy foods.
9. Effect vs. Affect
* Effect is usually a noun meaning “result.”
Example: The effect of increased traffic to your
website is directly related to the number of
articles you produce for syndication.
* Affect is usually a verb meaning “to influence.”
Example: I hope this training series will affect
you in a positive way.
10. Know vs. No vs. Now
* Know is usually a verb meaning “to understand.”
Example: I know you are not coming to the movie.
* No is a negative reply, refusal or disagreement.
Example: There is no problem with the car.
* Now is usually an adverb meaning “at the present time or moment.”
Example: Now I can easily write and market my articles.
If any of these are news to you, I’d advise you to learn them.
Owen